A rousing success.

30 May 2017

It was a beautiful thing to go back to Guinea over these last few days.

Photo courtesy of Tim Drysdale

We built this playground four and a half years ago, as our Gateway Field Service project (entry training for long-term Mercy Ships volunteers).

It’s not surprising it's disintegrating; in fact, it’s exactly what I was
expecting to see. But it does cause me
to think and to wonder.

Was it ever used as a playground? Kids here aren’t accustomed to playgrounds.
It was in an open area usually baking in the African sun or drenched by the
African rains; was it a place of joy, laughter, imagination, freedom? Or was it
abandoned shortly after the last photo was taken and the team of foreigners
left? Was there questions of what is that
thing, anyway? Did we actually meet a need or did we just do something that
made for good pictures and kept us busy for two weeks?

These are the questions I ask about many short term missions
trips; I think there is a place for them, but I also think we need to be
realistic about their supposed impact. I don’t think anyone in our group
expected it to have a huge impact; we all, of course, were just two weeks from
joining the ship we had all dreamed about and looked forward to for months and
years, and I think we were realistically just doing something with our two
weeks in country required practicum before getting to the real service, the ship. It’s
a fond memory for me, one of team building and adventure and community and new
experiences for many, and I don’t in any way believe the time was wasted. But it does cause me to wonder if it really
was the best use of us, if we could have made a real impact using those two
weeks in a different way.

It’s not worth dwelling on, here and now. It’s worth considering for the future, for
short term missions, for projects like this, for bringing playgrounds to kids
who don’t play on playgrounds, or who won’t go near the grass for fear of
snakes and scorpions, or whose play time is hindered by the scorching sun or
soaking rain. Maybe I’m a pessimist; I
hope I’m more of a realist, who wants to learn from experiences such as these;
I was created to make a difference, and I want the work of my hands, regardless
of time or place or team, to be purposeful, to have meaning, a lasting
impact.

So while I look at the work of our hands disintegrating
before me, I recognize and appreciate the lasting impact of this project was not the structure but rather the joy and
excitement and sweat and teamwork that went into it; I will always remember
fondly the group of people that did this together and the feeling of
accomplishment we felt in handing it over to the preschool director. If our goal was to come together as a team
and create something, it was a rousing success.

Thank you, gateway family, for the love poured out, for the
relationships forged through long days in the hot sun, for the collective heart
longing to impact the world in some way or another. That in itself is inspiring and hopeful. May the impact be more than a structure, some
wood and paint that cannot withstand the elements; may it be deep in that place
that will not ever be questioned or extinguished, more than we can ask or imagine.

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About Me

Currently blogging from Cambridge, Massachusetts

Disclaimer:

This is my personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here are my own and do not reflect the views and opinions of any organization or institution with which I am currently or was once affiliated. This includes but is not limited to Mercy Ships, Harvard University, University of Liverpool, Peace Corps, or the US Government.